Obama: U.S. Can’t ‘Play Whack-A-Mole’ With Militant Groups

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 12: U.S. President Barack Obama speaks while meeting with reporters following a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Tony Abbott of Australia meet with reporters following a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office the White House on June 12, 2014 in Washington, D.C. This was the first formal meeting between the two leaders. (Photo by Ron Sachs - Pool/Getty Images)President Obama (Photo: Ron Sachs - Pool/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (CBS DC) – Due to their extreme ideology, President Barack Obama explained Sunday that the Sunni militants who have taken over parts of northern Iraq pose a “medium-and long- term threat” to the U.S.

In two days over the weekend, The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) seized their fourth town, while Shiite militiamen began to march in Iraqi cities.

CBS News reported that Obama expects that “the local populations would reject ISIS because of their extreme and violent behavior.” The president also shared that the biggest threat they pose is their ability to continue destabilizing the country and creating violence which could threaten other countries in the area.

“I think it’s important for us to recognize that ISIS is just one of a number of organizations that we have to stay focused on,” Obama told CBS News. He noted organizations like Boko Haram, the group that kidnapped hundreds of young Nigerian women, and al Qaeda, that are still active.

“This is going to be a global challenge and one that the United States is going to have to address but we’re not going to be able to address it alone,” Obama explained to CBS News. “And as I said yesterday, what we can’t do is think that we’re just going to play whack-a-mole and send U.S. troops occupying various countries wherever these organizations pop up. We’re going to have to have a more focused, more targeted strategy and we’re going to have to partner and train local law enforcement and military to do their jobs as well.”